OPINION: How about getting to know your neighbours (and solve the garbage problem at the same time)?

I was going to start by referring to the "latest furor" describing the new limits to the number of bags the city's waste hauling contractor has been directed (by Sarnia City Council) to enforce (three down from four), but then I thought: maybe I'm helping make this a bigger deal than it really is (or should be).

I'll admit: I don't have kids at home, so our amount of trash is significantly less than it might otherwise be.

At the same time, the Sarnia Roundtable organization is urging residents to "get to know your neighbours"–the clear message being that we're only a real community if we get to know one another.

I know there are some great neighbourhoods (I live in one in Bright's Grove) where people not only wave, but take the time to talk about life. It's good.

So back to the garbage.

For years, at least some of us have been doing the "average" when it comes to bags on the curb. I might only have one–neighbours are very welcome to drop the occasional bag to eliminate their "over the limit" situation.

Hey, it's no big deal.

So why not reach out to your neighbourhood. It's not Facebook or Twitter but you might actually ease the stress of "being over" by getting to know the people you've possibly never met.